SATURDAY NIGHT ON CAMPUS WAS THE day we would congregate in the Union Hall to watch the Mary Tyler Moore Show. The Union Hall had several televisions, and they were all tuned into the show. Students would plop down around each one; if there was not a seat available then the floor was just fine. It was a communal thing that I enjoyed immensely. From freshmen to grad students, everyone was there for a good time and Mary never disappointed us. Some students would bring snacks to share with the other students, usually popcorn or pretzels. Except for the munching sounds and laughter, no one said a word during the telecast; conversation was saved for the commercial breaks. After the show, some students would stick around to hold an informal discussion about the episode. I did not always stay for them because I was not the type to look deeply into the reasons why a character acted in a certain way. All I knew was Mary Richards was a different type of television character. She was self-sufficient; a single woman with a good job who represented a different type of female that had been portrayed on television previously. Also, the issues the characters had on the show were realistic ones that many of us could relate to in our own lives. Each character was fully developed and not simply a foil to the main character’s antics. I FIRST BECAME AWARE OF MARY Tyler Moore from the Dick Van Dyke show. With the show in reruns, I would watch the same episodes over and over. Because I loved Lucille Ball in, I Love Lucy, I quickly became fond of Mary because of her physical comedy skills. This was another television show where every character was a strong, identifiable one. The humorous situations were so clever and if I think about it, I felt they were more relatable. One of the things that I distinctly remember about the television show was the fact that Rob and Laura Petrie slept in separate beds, just like Lucy and Ricky Riccardo. It is funny what thoughts remain with us from childhood, but that is one that has always stayed with me. It was such an odd thing to me because I had never seen it anywhere before; no relative, nor any of my friends’ parents slept in separate beds. What surprises me the most is the fact that I can think of an episode from either of Mary’s shows and recall it perfectly. As you might imagine, I was excited to see this documentary about the actress for one of television’s enduring characters. THEY ALWAYS SAY THERE ARE TWO sides to every story; so, it was fascinating to hear Mary Tyler Moore talk about her career and life in this wonderful movie. Directed by James Adolphus (Little White Lie, Dating Around-TV) and written by James L. Brooks (Terms of Endearment, Broadcast News), Allan Burns (Lou Grant-TV, He & She-TV) and newcomer Susan Silver, I thoroughly enjoyed watching this documentary. Because we tend to assume the actors are playing themselves in some way, it was interesting to see what Mary was dealing with in life during her career. Using film clips, interviews and home movies; there was a good balance of information on display here. I will say, the script did feel a bit sanitized to the point where I was sitting and wondering at times if Mary had that much control over her emotions and feelings. On the other hand, I loved hearing the tidbits about how things came into fruition in her life. If nothing else, this movie absolutely shows the drive and determination Mary had to further her career. If one is not a fan of Mary, then I do not believe they would enjoy watching this documentary. But if you are, then you will absolutely fall in love with America’s sweetheart.
3 ¼ stars